Apitius SN 10505

[Mike Zika]

I purchased it through the mandolincafe classifieds. https://picasaweb.google.com/qrkpub/ApitiusMandolin

[Bigtuna]

Nice score! How does it sound? More modern or Gibson like?

[Mike Zika]

Even across all the strings. Clear, sweet high end.

[Mike Zika]

Like a woman waiting for her man to come home.

[Mike Snyder]

Very nice flowerpot.

[Bigtuna]

Like a woman waiting for her man to come home.

I waited and waited for her to come home and I never found one, I wanted a Apitius for the longest time. After meeting they guy from Old School Freight Train and sitting across from him playing his, I told myself you have got to find one of those! I'm glad you got one and she sings so sweet.

[Mike Zika]

Bigtuna. Thanks for adding to my own enthusiasm this week playing it. I have to add one more thing to your quote "she is a woman, she waits for her man to come home" from my wife: "come home to take his turn to watch the kid". I used to leave every February through early May to live in a research camp on sea ice in the vicinity of the north pole. No communications! OH! Those were the days!!!!!!!!

[Cheryl Watson]

Congrats, Mike, on your new wooden baby! I used to own an Apitius and I traded it ONLY because the flat board combined with the shallow profile kept aggravating one of my finger joints. It had a wonderfully lyrical, clean, buttery, full, and even tone. And, like yours, it was beautiful!

[Glassweb]

Statman had an Apitius F5 that I played once. I was stunned at how fine it sounded and played... as in really impressed. A shame he's no longer building... he really had some special talents!

[Brad Weiss]

Pete Frostic! My former teacher.

[fatt-dad]

Yeah, I know about Oliver Apitius through Pete Frostic too. Yours is beautiful!

Congratulations!

f-d

p.s., during the 80s I spent months on end on the North Slope (among other places in Alaska).

[Stephen Cagle]

I was very interested in getting an Apitius back in the 90's when Adam Steffey played one with AK and Union Station. After asking around and talking to people that had either had one or just new a good bit about them I got a little different info. I heard that the Apitius's were very inconsistent from mando to mando. I hear that one would be an absolute hoss of a mandolin and the next would be well below average. I guess that could be with just about with any hand built mandolin/builder. I certainly would have no problem with purchasing one as long as I could play maybe 4 or 5 in the same setting and pick the one for me. I assume that will never happen since you hardley ever see them come up for sale and to get a room full would certainly be asking for way too much.

With that said: Your mandolin is beautiful! I really do love the "Apitius look" and if it sounds anything like it looks you've got a keeper!

ENJOY IT~o)

[Tiderider]

It may sound crazy but I can look at how good that mandolin sounds. I'm envious.

[Mike Zika]

Thank you CW for your response. I hope your playing something causing you no discomfort now. Mike

[Mike Zika]

F-D, Dead Horse Alaska in the 80's. Big salaries, torqouise, corvettes back at home but some of the guys seemed to have more $$$$ problems than a northern Minnesota farmer with 10 kids picking rocks on bad ground. And the flight from Deadhorse to Fairbanks? Man, what a group. Catching up on drinking after 6 weeks dry.

[George R. Lane]

Statman had an Apitius F5 that I played once. I was stunned at how fine it sounded and played... as in really impressed. A shame he's no longer building... he really had some special talents!

He still has his website up.
http://apitiusmandolins.com/index.html

[Mike Zika]

Thanks Stephen. Yes, purchasing w/out playing is a leap. After talking to the owner I had a good feel of it's potential. He put me in contact with his Luthier and that helped. I had a 48hr return agreement. My instructor owns an Apitius and we compared them. Subtly different but both very good. I am keeping it.

[Mike Zika]

Obie. I appreciate your good ear all the way from here in CA to Florida. You must have perfect pitch.

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

I only knew about Apitius after playing one that belongs to a local picker. It's an exceptional mandolin in every way. I too have been on the look out for one, but alas none seems to surface and when they do, never in my price range (understandably).

Congrats and happy picking. That looks like a very, very fine mandolin.

[sgarrity]

Nice looking mandolin Mike!

[Glassweb]

He still has his website up.

yes, I noticed that too, but i believe he stopped building a couple of years back... anyone have the skinny on this?

[John L]

I don't know Oliver Apitius, but have met him. He lives not far from me. People in the bluegrass and acoustic music community tell me he is not building. Last time I checked there was an Apitius mandolin for sale on Kijiji in Toronto. Around $6k I believe. Not mine unfortunately!

[John L]

I don't know Oliver Apitius, but have met him. He lives not far from me. People in the bluegrass and acoustic music community tell me he is not building. Last time I checked there was an Apitius mandolin for sale on Kijiji in Toronto. Around $6k I believe. Not mine unfortunately!

Just to update my own post, there is still an Apitius F-5
mandolin for sale in Toronto on Craigslist - priced a bit higher than I though at $6,500. And still (unfortunately) not mine. I have a had my hands on a few of these and they have all been great.

[Mike Zika]

John, I looked at Toronto Craigs listing. Same one I purchased here through the Cafe.

[John Duncan]

Great score!

There is an Apitius F here in town that is an absolute monster. It easily ranks up there with a Kimble or Ellis in my book. Thanks for the pictures!

[Mike Zika]

Cheryl, Thanks for the sound clips. The Apitius is singing in your hands. Is that you singing? Wow!

[Philr]

Hey all,
Great to find this Thread.
I exchanged emails with Oliver a few weeks ago. He is living life. No plans to start building mandolins.
I am lucky enough to have TWO of his mandolins. Both custom built. I got the first one, SN# 1042, in 1996. I love that mandolin so much that one day, a few years later, I was talking to Oliver and he said he had some special wood he was saving for his own mandoin; there was enough for two. He always made two mandolins at a time. I found a way and got SN# 8000 in Nov.2000. He played his mandolin for many years but I heard he sold it to someone a while back. Unbelievable, deep quilted maple back and sides. I still can't believe how lucky I am. I'll try to figure out how to post photos.
GDAE my friends,
Phil

[Mike Zika]

Please post photos.

[Nick Triesch]

I had the chance to play a few Apitius mandolins many years ago. Some of the best mandolins I have ever heard. 30 years ago they were the Nugget of mandolins in Southern Cal. Just fantastic.

[Nick Triesch]

Fantastic mandolin. One of the very best!

[Mike Zika]

Thanks Nick. I am enjoying it. Did you look at the photo of the one in the classifieds. The neck is different than any on the Apitius website. Rosaline inlay. Gold colored hardware. Perhaps neck is special for whom Oliver built it for.

[Nick Triesch]

Yes I looked at it. Wonderful mandolin. The ones that I have played both had deep bass with clear treble. Hold onto it for the rest of your life! I remember they would come up every once in a while for $2500 35 years ago!!!!!! But who had that kind of money?

[Mike Zika]

I meant the one in the classifieds right now.

[jasona]

I had the opportunity to pick a little on Andrew Collin's Apitius many years back. It had this strange rippling in the finish but man did it sound good! Unfortunately that one was stolen and I am unsure whatever happened to it.

[Mike Zika]

There was a 1994 Apitius Classic model in the classifieds recently. The Monteleone tailpiece is original and was ordered by the original purchaser. The unfinished neck is not original. Has anyone ever seen or heard this particular Apitius?